Meanwhile, in the Yard

One of the best things about this time of year is seeing things "wake up" and being able to be outside. I don't have a great garden and the backyard is more weeds than lawn, but I've been enjoying the birds, blooms and critters.

 

I think I've given up grass for Creeping Charlie (which is actually kind of pretty.)

The Beauty of Spring-Into-Summer

More blooms! My garden and peonies are faded now, but I managed a few pix before the passed their peak.

The Fragrance of Spring

I'm sitting in my office, the windows open. The temperatures have dropped and the breeze coming through is cool -- perhaps a little too cool. But I can't bear to close the windows because along with the breeze comes the most intoxicating fragrance of peony drifting up from the bushes under the window. It is just one of the fragrances of spring.

A Week at Home: The Garden (If you can call it that)

Some things look better as a whole. A beautiful vista, for example, where if you look too closely you can see signs of decay, litter, or the less pleasing parts. Others look better up close. My home yard is the latter.

It isn't that things don't grow. I can't seem to kill the hostas, for which I'm grateful, and my trusty hydrangea bush comes up, rain or shine, water or not, on the north side of the house.

It's in the narrow passage to the back yard which gets so overgrown, it is like fighting through the jungle!

The hydrangeas fight for space (and light) with the sunflowers. The sunflowers clearly win the light contest, blocking it out for the hydrangeas.

Sunflowers from the bottom up. Why do we never look beneath? 

In the front I have these happy fellows who seem to do their own thing whether I attend to them or not.

And I have to admit, their happy faces smile when I pull in the driveway. A few years ago the Garden Warrior in his weed pulling frenzy pulled out more than I wish. This year with Covid I did my own weeding and it seems they have come back in greater numbers. 

And nearby, a few coneflowers. There used to be more of these too, but you can imagine what happened!

The dill was super healthy. Again, I don't have to do a thing with this. I've found using the seedheads in floral arrangements with the hydrangeas adds a pretty, airy look to them and takes the bare minimum of time. It smells good too!

I don't know what these are. My neighbor gave me a few shortly after I moved in. Every year I pull them out because of where they are growing. Every year they come back. This year I didn't even try.

The biggest mess plant is my favorite, my sweet pea bush that I call Audrey Two after the man-eating plant in "Little Shop of Horrors." There is a reason why you see this only in close-up. 

 

See what I mean? It grows and spreads and grows some more. There's a bit of a gap in the middle where someone pulled out plants thinking they were weeds and they probably were, at least some of them. Weeds run rampant in that spot. I'd like to drown them all in weed killer of some safe sort but it would kill Audrey and that isn't an option. I love the sweet blossoms and they make the prettiest small arrangements.

Finally, meet my agapanthus. One of our book club members divided her plants and I got three. They are in the biggest, heaviest pots and need to come in for the winter in our Michigan climate. I have tried (intentionally) to kill my three for ages. (I can't seem to throw out a plant until it is totally dead, even if it looks wretched.) I even left them in the garage all winter. This year two of them rewarded me with their beautiful, solitary blooms and they are spectacular.

Now, I know if I stayed home and watered all summer, my garden (if you can call it that) would be much lovelier and well maintained. But there are trade offs and choices in life and I have made mine.

Fortunately, the sunflowers don't seem to care!

Not Much of a Garden but the Peonies Have Arrived!

When it comes to plants, I have terrible luck in general. Unfortunately, the plants I am trying to kill -- three agapanthus -- have never looked better. But it's nice to have a garden. I planted the lettuce and radishes earlier this spring and truly, I never thought they'd come up! But now, enough for a salad!

My fifty little pockets of starter seeds have now been transplanted and are doing well. Most will probably end up being divided again when they get a little bigger and stronger and either planted in the ground or planters.

The morning glories are by the fence and soon they'll bring some bright color to Lizzie's bird window!

The strawberries look better and better every day, and so do the herbs. The sweet peas don't have blooms yet but they are spreading about and getting taller. I can wait for that burst of hot pink!

My neighbor gave me her trellis when she moved and finally I have a climbing spot for the climatis!

The bleeding hearts are still good -- or they are when I write this. Who knows by the time I post it!

Now, let's talk peonies! When I moved in here there were four peony bushes at the back of the house. This side faces east and there is a good deal of shade so they are quite late bloomers.

But when they bloom, they bloom!

Oh, they're quite wonderful. And they are so fragrant! Since they are right by the living room window, which I leave open 24/7, it's like having the best potpourri in the world! Even better!

There are still a lot of buds, so I am hoping these will last for a very long time.

Now, if only I could figure out how to bring in a bouquet without also bringing in a whole army of ants!

Any ideas? Drowning them doesn't seem to work!

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Hanging Around Home

I have a new neighbor.

Yes, some of the Bed and Breakfasts in Michigan are open for business!

Every year a house wren builds its nest in the birdhouse hanging outside Lizzie's window.

Actually, there are two wrens, working in partnership. I'm guessing it is her mate.

What is somewhat interesting (and a little disturbing) is that they worked hard on this for days.

And I haven't seen them since.

Lizzie is devastated. I am, too.

Rick has been baking.

He did a batch of eight baguettes earlier this week. And I have to say it's hard work but boy, does it pay off!

My neighbor's alium is finished now, but it was so good while it lasted!

Seeds? Doing well. And the strawberries are looking good.  Shortcake, here we come in another couple of weeks!

My peonies have started to pop and since they are by the living room window, this is the view I see and it will be more to come! And of course it comes with a divine fragrance!

My neighbor on the other side sold her house and moved this week. She's been renting it out for the past five years so it shouldn't feel such a loss but it is. She let me pick some of her beautiful irises on her last day. They made a gorgeous bouquet, too!

The squirrels are always hungry, but this bunny felt quite content to just hang on the lawn for the longest time.

Life in our little world is good. Things are gently opening up here and the weather has been gorgeous. Books have been read, games played, meals cooked inside and out. Movies and videos have been greatly enjoyed.

Contentment is a wonderful word.

And right now, that's me. At least this week.

Next week? Who knows!

Summer Break -- A Few Days at Home!

I came home from the lake for a week or so for a couple of reasons -- some appointments, a lovely dinner with friends, and my birthday! Rick made a lemon tart from his new Loganberry Italian cookbooks. (I helped!) And we also went to the Flint Institute of Arts for a terrific exhibit -- but that's for another day. There's lots to process for that one!

When I was home one thing that had to be tackled a bit was my garden. It's so overgrown and the blooms so heavy no one has been able to get to the back yard to mow it! Yes, there is a path there. Good luck getting through it!

But I have to say, this is the view when I open my back door every day.

Just being greeted by that burst of color is enough to start any day off well!

Sometimes I don't know what half of these are. But I really don't care! I just like them!

My white hydrangeas have gone green and I confess, I like them even better green!

And these are always pretty. Stock maybe?

What's not to love with something so cheery!

And speaking of cheery, when Rick had to bail on dinner with me because he forgot to mention he'd accepted an invitation for us (and dinner was was already going and not the kind that served up well as leftovers, there was no stopping it), I called in reinforcements!

And then we celebrated a special occasion!

Just the second day in a great birthday weekend with more to come!